Cult Classic Review- Super Troopers

Everyone how's it going and welcome back to my arts and entertainment blog. the other night I watch one of my favorite movies for probably the 100 time and it was just as funny as it always has been. I am talking about the movie Super Troopers the 2001 American Crime comedy film written by and starring The Broken Lizard comedy group. the film features a lovable cast of state troopers stationed in fictional town of Spurbury, Vermont. These Troopers seem to have more of a knack for pranking each other and getting stoned in the evidence locker then for actual police work but suddenly they find themselves busting a drug smuggling ring and attempting to solve a murder. Read more

Art is in the eye of the beholder. You like it or not. One can undoubtedly argue upon the value and meaning of art.But as a matter of fact, right now the art market is booming. Artists are adored and worshipped like pop stars or actors. But not everybody is happy about this development. But which artists will stand the test of time? Read more

With the ubiquitous nature of smartphones, anyone can get good at photography. You don’t need to get an expensive camera, you don’t need to spend a lot of time in school, and you don’t need to go back in time to study with the masters. All you need to do is focus on a few simple to follow steps that should lead you down the right path. If your goal is to get better overall shots, you are going to want to consider a few simple ideas that will help you today. Read more

Artist Profile - Orla Kiely

Hi all and welcome back to my blog on all things art and entertainment. I was recently browsing one of my favourite second hand classified ads websites, when I stumbled across a plethora of amazing used Orla Kiely products. I quickly bought up lots of great Orla Kiely fabrics here:http://www.for-sale.ie/orla-kiely-fabric . And it led me to thinking about Orla Kiely as an artist and designer so I decided to have a look into how she got started.Read more

Travelling Magic

Welcome back folks. Today I’m back with another arts and entertainment themed blog, which in a sense rekindles an earlier passion I had in my early to mid-twenties, more than it did photography if I’m honest. It’s something that can be described as the ultimate form of entertainment, particularly as it’s hugely popular on a broad international scale to people of all ages and backgrounds, but it also holds a very special appeal in the wonder-seeking eyes of kids. You may have guessed already, if not, I’m talking about the puzzling bewilderment that comes from the art of magic, and the gift that magic tricks can bring to humanity worldwide. Read more

Pink Floyd are truly one of the greatest and most artistic bands to have ever existed. Founded by Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright in 1965, they went on to write and produce a number of successful albums over the following 25 years. Under Barrett’s leadership and influence, they gained early notoriety on the London music scene. Sadly, Barrett quit the band in 1968 due to increasing mental health problems. Waters went on to become the dominant influence in the band, conceptualising the band's most successful albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. They were infamous for their elaborately visual shows and concepts, utilising advanced lighting, projections and stage props to tell the story that was their music. The best example of this was the The Wall stage show where a wall was progressively built up between the band and the audience throughout the course of the show only to be shattered and knocked down at the end. In 1977, while performing their Animals stage show, Waters famously berated the crowd for shouting and screaming while the band were playing. He is also alleged to have spat at a fan in frustration. Richard Wright left the band in 1979 followed by Waters in 1985. Gilmour and Mason continued with the band into the 1990’s and into the new millennium. The band's final studio album was produced in 2014. Barrett and Wright both sadly passed away in the first decade of the new millennium. Although Waters and Gilmour have buried the hatchet in recent years and put their past differences behind them, they have both stated that they have no intention of reforming the band. If you’re not familiar with the work of Pink Floyd, download some of their music from iTunes and give it a go. You won’t be disappointed!Read more

Today’s is all about the culture of body art. Body art is a form of body enhancement that pre-dates recorded history. The reason why people choose or are compelled to modify their bodies are numerous. Some do so purely for aesthetic or decorative purposes while others do so spiritual or symbolic reasons. Body art roughly falls into one of two categories: piercing or tattooing.Read more

Hi folks. I’m feeling a bit under the weather today, what with a bad back and a headache, so I’m just going to write a bit of a filler post about a book I have found very interesting and that I think you would thoroughly enjoy and benefit from reading also. I am, of course, talking about Sun Tzu’s the Art of War. The Art of War is ancient Chinese military strategy manual dating back to the 5th century BC. It has been translated into many languages including English and makes essential reading for military, business and government leaders alike. The strategies described can be transferred to all works of life and the manual is kind of a “how to be successful” manual in disguise. It is also really interesting to get an insight into the thought process of somebody from that time in history. It’s amazing to think that the influential teachings of somebody who lived over two thousand five hundred years ago can have so much influence on how people act and think in their daily lives in the modern world. The manual is broken down into 13 chapters, all of which cover a different aspect of warfare strategy. I would thoroughly encourage you to give it a read. Read more

Welcome to my latest blog post folks. This time I am going to be talking about the art of landscape photography and giving you some tips to take the best landscape photos. (By the way you can find a great landscape photography resource for your iPhone or iPad here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/light-landscape-magazine-no1/id680385551?mt=8With landscape photography, it is important to be at the right place at the right time. A combination of the right setting and the right lighting is essential for success, along with a whole bunch of patience! But hopefully the tips below will also help you along with your landscape photography endeavours. Read more

I’m waiting in eager anticipation of the delivery of my French colonial replica tiles from Ho Chi Minh City. I have recently been doing a little more research on the chap who is making these (trying to kill some time whilst I wait for them longingly) and I have read some lovely stories about him. Apparently he, much like most Vietnamese people, just thought of the old colonial tiles as scruffy and ugly. His preference was for the shiny new variety. This opinion is pretty much standard across Asia. Asian people long for modern, western design with clean lines and more stainless steel than you can possibly know what to do with. In the West, however, we seem to have more nostalgia for, or at least more taste for, design, fashion, artifacts, interiors and exteriors from days gone by. Read more

I have always loved antique tiles, especially French colonial tiles found in countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. Both countries were occupied by the French in the late 19th and early 20th century and with this occupation came the most beautiful blend of French architecture and design with a tropical landscape. French colonial villas were adorned with beautiful tiles, wooden shutters and elegant balconies. The tiles are what I find most appealing. Because of the heat in French Indochina, tiles were a popular way, and still are though not so beautiful these days, to keep a house cooler. The tiles made popular by the French during this period were made from dyed cement. Different coloured cement would be poured into a mold to create a patter and this pattern and colour would make up anywhere from the entire tile to at least 2 inches on the surface – meaning the pattern on the tiles would not wear from useage. This is precisely why so many French colonial tiles remain intact in Vietnam and Cambodia today. Read more

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about a signature piece for my living room wall. I’ve found some great and quirky works of modern art but my budget is a bit tight at the moment and, unfortunately, it transpires that I have expensive tastes. Every piece I admire would rack up a bill well into the thousands! The cheaper works I have seen just don’t have the wow factor that I’m looking for. Read more

I’d like to welcome you back to my Art’s blog, hope you’ve enjoyed the read so far. So we’ve touched on art around the home and talked about what art fairs to look out for in 2016. Later in my blog I’d like to touch on those subjects again but this post is going to be taking things in a slightly different direction as I’m currently in the market for a trailer and wanted a bit of advice. Read more

I really hope that you have enjoyed my blog so far and hopefully I’ll see some of you at the Art Fair in London at the end of the month. I wanted the next article to be about something a little bit different as not to be too boring. I wanted to talk a little bit about Art around the home and some of the cool things you can do with cheap materials, to make your home look a bit more, Arty and fun. I’ve been searching far and wide, reading through book after book and searching the internet from top to bottom, trying to gain inspiration. If anyone has any input, then I’d really like to hear your ideas. It’s great fun adapting your own techniques after being inspired by other people’s ideas and ingenuity so you should really have a go if your one of those people who just paints the walls magnolia and sticks-up a few random pictures. Read more

Hello everybody, my name is Sally. This is a small introduction to my blog on Arts and Crafts. I like my quirky art and very interested in design. I’m always trying new themes and styles around the home and like to give my own personal touch. I am just putting together my first article so please be patient and do return. Read more